1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to gaming systems and methods, and in particular to a system and method for concurrently providing ATM gaming machine token redemption services at reduced cost.
2. Description of the Related Art
Increasingly, gaming machines pay out winnings and accept wagers in the form of cashless tokens. Such tokens can include printed tickets, smart cards, magnetic striped cards, flash memories, and the like. Such systems typically operate by storing some representation of a gaming machine cash-out value (or cash-in value) on the token. The player can then take the token to a second gaming device, and use the token to transfer game credits or other value to the second gaming device. The player can also use the token to obtain cash for their game credits. The payment of this cash-out can be awarded by a cashier upon presentation of the token, or by player application of the token to a cashierless redemption kiosk. Exemplary token systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,834,794; 6,612,926; 6,598,798; 6,379,246; 6,263,258; 6,253,119; 6,280,326; 6,048,269; 6,012,832; and 5,290,033, and in pending patent application Ser. No. 10/893,786, entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SCRIP DISTRIBUTION AND MANAGEMENT PERMITTING REDISTRIBUTION OF ISSUED SCRIP”, currently published as publication number US-2005-0003889-A1, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
There are several problems associated with such kiosks. One problem is cost. Each kiosk must have a bill dispenser, and bill dispensers are expensive. Another problem is maintenance. Since the redemption kiosks dispense (and may accept) cash, they must be periodically replenished or emptied of cash. This maintenance can be expensive and involves security risks as well.
At the same time, banks and other financial institutions are increasingly placing automatic teller machines (ATMs) in and around casinos. These ATMs allow players to withdraw money from their accounts for gaming purposes, and to deposit any winnings. Banks are willing to install such ATMs in casinos as a convenience to customers, as an enticement to potentially new customers, and to generate income from transaction fees charged to players who are not bank customers.
It would be advantageous to utilize the bill accepting and bill dispensing functionality provided by an ATM to support token redemption functions as well. Unfortunately, while it is possible to modify an ATM machine to accept and process redemption tokens, the inherent differences between ATM customer needs and gaming customer needs makes this a difficult proposition.
Typically, gaming token redemption can be completed quite rapidly. All that is necessary is for the player to provide the token to a suitable interface, optionally enter information via a card or a keypad, and to receive their cash. This sort of transaction can be completed in less than a minute.
Conversely, ATMs offer a wide range of services to their customers, including account inquiries, transfers, withdrawals, and deposits. Many customers perform multiple transactions in a single session. For these reasons, the mean total transaction time for ATM customers is much greater than the mean total transaction time for gaming machine players. If token redemption functionality were offered in ATMs, gaming machine customers may be asked to wait lines made excessively long by ATM customers completing lengthy transactions. Furthermore, the ATM customers themselves will find their wait increase as gaming customers use the ATM to redeem their tokens.
What is needed is an way to combine ATM functionality and gaming token redemption functionality that is both (1) inexpensive and (2) does not substantially increase the queues for redeeming gaming tokens or performing ATM transactions. The present invention satisfies that need.